The present invention relates to reinforcing or strengthening a ring shank.
It is known to adjust a ring shank size to fit on a wearer's finger. One conventional ring sizing process involves sawing the ring shank at a location diametrically opposite the decorative portion of the ring to form a cut, filing the ring shank at the cut until enough material is removed to attain a desired size of the wearer and then soldering together opposite sides of the cut.
The ring sizing process itself is known to cause physical changes to occur to the ring shank. For instance, there is usually a reduction in the shank dimension where the sizing process took place. Such reduction further weakens the ring shank than would otherwise be the case. The texture of the ring shank appearance may become altered in that it may no longer match as before, particularly if the sizing process causes the formation of visible solder seam lines, cold solder joints, incomplete solder joints or pits in the solder seam. Indeed, the inside contour of the ring may no longer be perfectly round after sizing.
It would therefore be desirable to form the ring shank in a manner to address undesired alterations to the ring shank appearance attributed to the ring sizing process. That is, to make provision for strengthening the ring shank after ring sizing and for hiding seams from view should they arise from the ring sizing process. It is further desirable to increase the wear of a ring shank by rendering it less susceptible to wear from abrasion.